What Sounds Do Astronauts Hear During A Spacewalk?

Posted on April 22, 2017

IN SPACE – NOVEMBER 6: In this handout photo provided by NASA, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly works outside of the International Space Station during a spacewalk on November 6, 2015 in space. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)

What sounds do astronauts hear during a spacewalk? Mostly what you hear is the sound of the pumps and fans that circulate air and water through your suit. It’s not terribly annoying or anything, but it’s not the silent lonely environment with no sound other than your own breathing like often depicted in the movies.

Plus you are wearing a headset so you have the sound of your crew mates and the folks in Mission Control talking to you fairly regularly.

It is true, however, that sound cannot travel in a vacuum so you do not hear things outside. When you drive a bolt or tap a piece of equipment with a tool, you don’t hear a thing.

One interesting thing that happens is that when you put your crew mates in the airlock to perform an EVA and then shut the hatch, at first you can hear a bunch of clanging as their metal tools softly strike the other equipment, handrails, or the hull of the small airlock. Then as you depress the airlock it still looks exactly the same through the hatch window. But now the clanging sound is gone. You can see their equipment bumping into stuff as before, but now it is silent.

As an EVA is in progress, you can hear the spacewalkers bumping and clanging along as your crew mates translate on the exterior of your module. It sounds kind of like ghosts in the attic dragging chains. Although without the scary moaning sounds!